Bathtub Adventures
by chelsietea
Summary: After their retirement, Charles and Elsie experience a troubled period in their marriage. Will an unexpected situation in the bathroom lead to a reconciliation?
1. One

**Hi there! I decided to write this silly little fic (because frankly it was too amusing not to write it!) based on momentinparadise's manip on Tumblr. She created an It's Complicated bathtub scene with Charles and Elsie instead of Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin.**

**I hope you'll find it as entertaining as I did in writing it.**

**The story isn't betaread, sorry for any errors.**

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**Summary: **After their retirement, Charles and Elsie experience a troubled period in their marriage. Will an unexpected situation in the bathroom lead to a reconciliation?

**One.**

Elsie mumbled in her sleep and rolled on her side.

A wonderful perfume invaded her nostrils, remembering her of something, something she couldn't quite recall... she inhaled deeply, smelling sandalwood and a vague scent of pine, a scent that was distinctly his. A scent that was distinctly Charles.

Her eyes flew open. She had rolled over his side of the bed, her face completely immersed in his pillow.

The sheets felt cold against her warm skin, she supposed he must have left their room early in the morning.

"As usual," she sighed, resignedly.

She and Charles had left their work at Downton only a few months before, ready to enjoy retirement... but something had happened between them.

During the first weeks of their well deserved rest, they had simply relaxed themselves in every way possible - well, she corrected herself, in every way except for the _sexual_ way.

He had dedicated himself to a bit of gardening or to reading, while she had tried to learn how to cook something properly and had often paid calls on Beryl's nearby cottage.

They hadn't forgotten that the other existed, in fact they were still very fond of each other, but they had been so engrossed by their new found activities that they had simply stepped away from each other.

They still spent several moments together, however married life seemed to have lost its spark.

Charles and Elsie had been married for almost fifteen years and they never had problems in bed.

Their work was very tiring and demanding, but they had always found time to dedicate to themselves and their needs.

They had always felt a strong physical attraction for each other and they still did - or anyway, she still found Charles desirable - but the fire of passion of their first years of marriage had long since died out and the energy they channeled into their job, and that kept their relationship going in the years before, had just gone out.

Could you fall out of the habit of having sex with your husband? Elsie wondered.

It seemed such a silly question and it probably would be if that wasn't exactly what was happening to them.

She closed her eyes.

It was so stupid: they had the entire rest of their lives before them to spend together and they had progressively forgotten to make love!

She laughed bitterly at the absurdity of the situation.

Shaking her head, she decided she had better get ready for her day.

She found Charles in the kitchen, reading a newspaper.

"Good morning," Elsie greeted him.

"Good morning," he replied quietly, barely raising his eyes from the paper to acknowledge her presence.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Quite well, thank you."

"Would you like scrambled eggs for breakfast?"

"Yes, please," came his short reply.

After finishing reading the page, Charles got up and prepared the table for their breakfast, setting a light blue table cloth and a couple of plates and cups.

Sitting again on his chair, he couldn't help admiring his wife's figure unbeknownst to her.

She was wearing a white blouse with tiny coloured flowers, matched with a dark skirt.

A few strands of hair had escaped from her pins, curling around the nape of her neck. Her blouse was slightly low cut, the fabric was thin enough to show the straps of her bra - it was the latest fashion and, apparently, it made her feel more comfortable than her corset.

Her tight fitting skirt hugged her backside in a quite lovely way as she moved around the kitchen and he couldn't help enjoying the view.

As his gaze travelled slowly down her body, he found himself thinking about their situation.

After they had moved in the cottage their lives had taken a different path and, even if he was delighted of having more spare time, he didn't like what was happening between them.

Charles wasn't spending as much time as he had wanted to with her. He didn't know if it had been her who started that, but he did know he had stepped progressively away from her because he felt she had been the first to set the example.

He missed her, God knew. He missed her warm presence snuggled close to him at night, he missed her laugh, her kisses, her being _herself_.

But he had no idea how to go back to what they had once.

"Any plans for today?" he asked her after she placed a steaming pot of tea in front of him.

"I don't have much to do this morning. I think I'll take a hot bath."

"Good."

"What do you intend to do today?" she inquired, pouring tea in both their cups.

"I don't know. Maybe reading."

She hummed in agreement and sat down, after passing him his plateful of scrambled eggs.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. The silence in the room was broken only by the clinking of the cutlery on their plates.

She stole a glance at him bringing a piece of egg to his mouth with the fork, which appeared so small held tightly in his large hands.

Elsie found herself wondering if he would still be willing to hold her hand in his, to kiss her, to touch her with those hands. She shivered imperceptibly and drank her tea in large gulps to shake off that feeling.

The feeling she usually had before they engaged in their... _activities_.

She finished her breakfast almost shoveling the food into her mouth and got up quickly.

She made her way to the kitchen sink but his voice stopped her.

"I'll do the washing up. You go and have your bath."

"Thank you."

She didn't take her bath straight away, though. She made the bed - the bed they now used only for sleeping, she thought - and tidied up their room before preparing the water.

She checked if it was warm enough, then took off her clothes and let down her hair, immersing herself fully into the water.

Elsie let out a satisfied sigh as she leaned against the bathtub walls, the water lapping against her chest and her long hair cascading down her shoulder.

She had no intention of getting out soon.

"No sir, no intention at all", she thought happily, closing her eyes to rest them for a while. Just for a little while...

She reopened them lazily after what seemed a few seconds and what she found startled her.

Charles was standing by the tub, looking down at her, his eyes a darker shade of brown.

She looked into his eyes for a split second, as she felt the blood rush to her cheeks, before screeching.

"Charles Carson! What _on earth_ are you doing in here?!"

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	2. Two

**I'm actually proud of myself for updating so quickly! *claps to herself alone***

**Thank you all for your reviews, you've been so very kind, I'd never imagined this story to attract so much interest! **

**You're all hungry for a bit of M-ness, aren't you, you little devils? Ahahah xx**

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**Two.**

Charles shook his head as if her words had woken him from his trance.

He realized he was looking at her with his mouth hanging open and closed it quickly, gritting his teeth and cursing himself mentally.

Gods, she looked so beautiful. Her long hair, dampened by the water, hung in gently waves and ringlets around her sweet and flushed face. Her blue eyes were shining in surprise and outrage.

She was probably too shocked to attempt to cover herself (and why should she? He was her husband, wasn't he?) and he had a clear view of her ample chest, her breasts partially immersed in the water, her arms draped over her stomach, her mound barely visible between her legs.

He inhaled sharply in order to calm himself.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"You what?" she inquired angrily.

"I thought you..." he tried to explain.

"You knew I was in here having a bath, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I..."

"So why did you enter?"

"Because you have been in here for ages and I was wondering what was taking you so long!" he bellowed.

"What do you mean I have been in here for ages?" she retorted, her voice rising even higher.

"I mean you've been staying in here for at least an hour and a half!"

"This can't be, I only closed my eyes for..." she stopped in mid-sentence.

He raised his eyebrows to state his position with an "I was trying to tell you" look.

"How long did I stay here?" she asked again faintly.

"An hour and a half, at least."

"Oh."

He didn't reply.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, sitting in the tub and looking up at him, suddenly coy. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I must have fallen asleep."

He nodded . "And I'm sorry for having barged in here like I did. I was starting to get worried."

Elsie smiled kindly at him and motioned for him to pass her a clean towel.

Charles turned on his heels and kneeled over the bathroom cabinet, taking one in his hands and giving her a good view of his backside.

He then opened the towel and handed it to her. In the same moment, she nonchalantly chose to stand up in front of him.

His mouth hung open again. She looked every bit as gorgeous as he remembered.

Water was dripping down from her body, drawing her enticing curves to his attention. The roundness of her breasts, the dip of her waist, the softness of her belly, the...

She reached out for the towel but Charles wrapped it around her body himself. Elsie let him do it, although surprised again by his forwardness.

He was her husband after all, wasn't he?

She stuck her arms out of the towel as he fastened it on her chest, his hands lingering longer than necessary.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Whatever for?" he wondered.

"For being you, I suppose."

He smiled - the first real smile she had seen from him in weeks - and cupped her face lovingly with his big hands.

His skin felt cold against hers. She could sense the warmth of the blood that had rushed to her cheeks radiating from her skin.

Charles' eyes were intently fixed on hers, unblinking. His breath tickled her cheeks and she found herself wishing he would just kiss her and be done with it.

She wanted it _so badly_ it almost surprised her. She had always felt powerful emotions when Charles was concerned, only she wasn't used to them anymore.

He moved his face closer to hers... a little closer... and even closer...

Elsie shut her eyes, waiting... and then he kissed her forehead.

She opened her eyes slowly, basking in the handsomeness of her husband face. He had ignited something in her. Something she hadn't felt in quite a long time.

"What was that for?" she demanded.

"For being you, I suppose," Charles answered, mimicking her response.

She mumbled something and stepped out of the tub with a graceful movement.

He made to go away but she stopped him by placing her hand on his arm.

Charles turned his head in her direction and looked at her questioningly.

She swallowed. "Courage, big girl," she thought to herself.

"Don't you want to...?" she suggested in a tiny and strained voice.

"Yes?" he waited for her to continue her sentence.

Elsie shook her head. "Nothing."

She sighed. "Go back to reading, Charles."

He frowned slightly and turned his back to her, closing the door after him quietly.

As soon as he exited, Elsie sat on the toilet, her head in her hands. What had she been thinking?

Behaving so forwardly with him wasn't in her character.

He returned to the sitting room and picked up his book, trying unsuccessfully to start where he had stopped his reading.

Images of his wife continued to flash in his mind: her dark brown hair and blue eyes, her high cheekbones, supple mouth and graceful neck, her collarbone and chest, her beautiful breasts and nipples, her waist and hips, her soft belly, her pelvis, her strong legs and tiny feet.

He suddenly felt himself get warm and flustered and he closed his book with a heavy sigh.

She had unconsciously turned him on and now there was little both of them could do to solve his situation.

Well, Charles had one idea in mind but... no. He shook his head again with force.

No, he mustn't think of that, he mustn't think of _her_ like that.

A bell rang in his mind. And why couldn't he? He was her husband after all.

He had every right to think of her that way.

He stood up determinedly and strode in direction of the bathroom.

Damn and blast the woman.

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**What is Charles up to? Ladies and gentle... ladies, make your bets!**


	3. Three

**Evening! **

**I'm glad for all your support, really. You're so kind and sweet, me and my silly little fic don't deserve you!**

**This chapter focuses mostly on the first moments that brought Chelsie to step away from each other. **

**The reason for it will be explored in later chapters, but don't expect anything big, it's simpler than you probably think. Periods like these happen to every couple. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Three.**

Charles suddenly opened the door and found Elsie sitting on the toilet, still wrapped in the towel, her long hair partially covering her face.

She looked up at him, astonished by his entrance and a little frightened by his expression. He was glaring at her with such a cold and determined look that goosebumps rose on her skin.

"I'm sick of this," he pronounced in low and warning tone.

**. . .**

_Charles inserted the brass key of their new house into the keyhole and turned it. _

_He stepped inside the cottage first, holding the door for her to enter after him._

_"Welcome home, Mrs Carson," he said with a wide smile on his face. _

_"Welcome home, Mr Carson," she replied._

_The cottage was small but cozy and tidy, decorated according to their wishes._

_It had a wonderful view on their front garden and on the street that led to Beryl's and the Bateses' cottage._

_Elsie was looking around herself, admiring her own house with a proud expression. _

_She looked like a child on Christmas Eve, he thought fondly._

_Charles sneaked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck._

_"How about we inaugurate our new home?" he suggested, grinning against her skin._

_She freed herself from his grasp and forced a smile. _

_"I'm a bit tired tonight, Charles. Maybe another day," she murmured, cupping his cheek with her right hand._

_He turned his head to place a kiss to her palm but she had already disappeared in her bedroom._

_He remained behind in the kitchen, staring out of the window._

_The faint moonlight outlined the shapes of the bushes and the flowerbeds. Roses, violets and daisies populated the grass and the shrubs and Charles found himself thinking Elsie would be thrilled at seeing their little garden properly for the first time._

_Although he absolutely respected her decision, he couldn't help feeling a bit rejected. _

_She had never behaved like that in the rare occasions they had had to be together at Downton. However, he supposed she must be exhausted after all the excitement of the day and he completely understood her position. He had to admit he was a little tired himself. _

_When he finally made his way to their bedroom, she had already gone to bed and was now fast asleep. Sighing, he changed himself silently and joined her, keeping his distance from her, hoping he would fall asleep as soon as possible._

**. . .**

"Charles?" Elsie called out to him, as if she was trying to shook him out of his state.

"I'm sick of this," he repeated slowly.

**. . .**

_The morning after he found his wife in the kitchen, trying to cook something for breakfast._

_He hugged her from behind, pressing a kiss to her head._

_"Good morning."_

_"Good morning to you," she greeted him._

_"It smells delicious," he commented, referring to what she was cooking. "What is it?"_

_"You flatterer. It's bacon."_

_He put his lips on her neck, gently sucking her skin. _

_"Mmm, you smell and taste delicious as well," he noticed, moving his hands appreciatively on her stomach to cup her breasts through her dress._

_"What are you doing?" she whispered, turning in his arms._

_"What do you think I'm doing?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively._

_"Don't be daft," she said, putting her hands on his chest to push him away gently. "I've got no time for this. I have a lot of things to do."_

_As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted saying that._

_His face fell and he let her go. _

_"Of course," he mumbled, taking a few steps back and sitting down on a chair, deliberately gazing out of the window to avoid looking at her. _

**. . .**

"What do you mean? I do not know what you're talking about," Elsie spoke in a whisper.

His mind was reeling. Of course she knew what he was talking about.

She had realized their situation as well as he did.

He was respecting her wishes but she kept rejecting him for no particular reason and it drove him mad.

Charles had pretended this didn't affect him but it did, greatly. He didn't understand what he had done wrong, _if_ he had done something wrong.

He intended to respect her will, but he would be damned if they didn't talk this through.

He fixed her with an icy glare. "Yes, you do."

**. . .**

_Charles entered in bed and pulled the covers over them both. _

_Elsie felt so cold she was almost trembling under the sheet. She neared him to get warmer and he let out a yelp at how cold her skin was._

_"You're freezing!" he commented, shocked. _

_"It's December. We're supposed to be freezing."_

_"Come here," he offered, opening his arms to welcome her._

_She propped herself on her elbows and hesitantly snuggled further closer to him. He kept himself from sighing in pleasure when he felt her in his arms. It warmed his heart._

_He kissed her shoulder, caressing her from her neck to her lower back. _

_However, when his hands reached her bottom, she wiggled uncomfortably next to him._

_"Charles..."_

_"Yes?"_

_"Not tonight, please. I'm exhausted."_

_He stood still for a moment, their breathing the only sound in the room._

_"As you wish," Charles murmured after a while, draping an arm across her stomach._

_"Thank you," she replied, squeezing his hand._

_He didn't answer back but simply shut his eyes tightly, praying for sleep to come quickly for the umpteenth time in those days._

**. . .**

"You know perfectly well what this is about and I believe we should sort it out."

She bit her lip and looked down at her hands. She seemed mortified.

"You're right," she agreed. "We should."

He neared her carefully, like he would with a frightened hare. She looked so fragile, as if she could break in that instant like a crystal glass...

Elsie stood up and reached out to him, however her movements caused the towel to come undone and slide down from her body, leaving her naked in front of him.

Before he could think of anything else, he found himself grabbing his wife by the hips to draw her closer still. She looked up at him dumbfounded.

Then he crashed his lips to hers.

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**I know, I have a thing for cliffhangers. Sorry about that. **

**Maybe if you leave a review I could change my mind... only half joking. xx**


	4. Four

**Hi there! I'm sorry for my delay but Christmas holidays got the best of me!**

**However I hope I can make up to you with this long, steamy and smutty chapter. You've been warned! *wink wink***

**I still haven't recovered from the CS, have you? *falls to the ground and FEEEEELS***

**Also, I meant to talk to you about that so called journalist that made Phyllis read aloud an M rated ff. I was absolutely appalled by that behaviour but at the same time I thought "Bugger that, if I want to write a M rated ff I just do it". And here it is, a complete series.**

**There are so many talented writers out there - you are talented, guys. Don't let anyone ever put you down. I enjoy very much every one of your stories. I know how difficult it is to write and respect the IC of the characters and create a good plot.**

**I respect you. All of you. Bugger all that nonsense.**

**Okay, I think I should leave you to your reading now. Have fun!**

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**Four.**

Charles shut his eyes tightly, expecting her to push him away or to slap him but not willing to let go of her.

Surprisingly, she kissed him back with such increasing eagerness that left him thinking she had been waiting for this as much as he had.

Elsie slid her arms around his neck, pressing her naked flesh against his starched shirt, while he tangled his fingers in her damp locks, relishing in the feeling of having her in his arms again after all that time.

His hands moved from her hips down to her backside, kneading her buttocks and eliciting a low moan from her.

He then slid his hands upwards on her sides, feeling the softness of her hips and belly, the goosebumps on her skin, the shape of her ribs on her upper body, the outline of her breasts.

Elsie shuddered under his gently ministrations, suppressing a sigh.

She was a strong woman and she always had been, unbreakable, unbent, unyielding. Yet he could make her feel like a little lamb ready for sacrifice, trembling under the steel of the high priest.

He made her feel fragile, vulnerable, he made her stone façade (for she had built a façade too in those months, she had learned from the best) crumble, turn into thin air.

In another scenario, in another life (or maybe in this one as well), with another person, she would feel angry, violated, undervalued, but with him, now, she didn't.

In was just his way, she supposed. It was just his being, his soul, his body crushing on hers and enveloping her tightly, almost suffocating her - no, never suffocating, but intoxicating, _oh yes_.

He must have felt it long before she did. Her absence, her indifference, his longing, his desire for her.

And she had been the cause for it, for all of this, she had turned their bed into a cold pallet, their house into an uninhabited castle, long since destroyed and full of memories.

Now that she felt the longing and burning, consuming desire as well, she understood him.

She understood why Charles had been so cold, barely speaking, stealing glances her way when he thought she wasn't looking but otherwise not bothering to look at her the whole day. She understood why he had returned in the bathroom, red faced and flustered, grabbing her roughly by the hips and kissing her.

She liked this, his skin against hers, his warm and big hands on her sides, on her breasts, teasing her nipples gently, kneading her flesh.

Elsie put her hands on his chest, slowly unbuttoning his shirt, careful not to wrinkle it, not daring to look at him in the face, slightly afraid to see the expression on his visage, the light in his eyes, but he gripped her shoulders tightly, squeezing them until she finally understood what he wanted.

She stopped attempting to free him from his clothes and raised her head, trying to seem every bit like the stern and capable woman she had been in her work, hardened by the harshness of life in service... but resulting only in looking like a trembling child searching for comfort after a nightmare.

She forced herself to put on her most cold and defiant stare, challenging him into taking action, wanting to see _how_ _much_ further he would bring it.

But she must have failed, because his enraged expression and that intimidating light of lust in his eyes had extinguished and now he was looking down at her with an unexpected tenderness, his brown eyes reflecting the soft glow of embers, the fire of anger gone.

Only then Elsie understood how much Charles had been kind and patient with her in those months.

Only then she understood just how much he had been good with her, too good for her.

She stood on her tiptoes and reached out for him, kissing him once again, hard on the mouth, rubbing herself against his chest, half exposed and half covered by his shirt.

Elsie made short work of it, all the while kissing his strong neck while he grabbed her hips to press her flush against him, his groin against hers, her mound against his crotch.

She moved a few steps towards the door, Charles pacing backwards and releasing his grip on her to open it, carefully maneuvering them into exiting the bathroom.

They then moved along the corridor uncertainly, she faltering and stepping on his feet, he almost tumbling down and bringing her with him.

Uncomfortable with not seeing where he was going (not that Elsie did) he pushed her against the wall, ravishing her neck with kisses while she tried unsuccessfully to unbuckle his belt, his touch driving her to distraction.

He took her hands and pinned them against the wall, bending his head to kiss the valley between her breasts. He could taste the soap and water on her skin and her moans were driving him mad.

She raised a leg over his hip and he felt her wetness against the bulge of his trousers. Charles groaned at the feeling and grabbed her buttocks, squeezing them hard.

Finally having her hands free, she moved them painfully slowly to his shoulders, sliding down to his chest, caressing his hair and stopping at his navel.

Charles, who had been watching her all the while, barely contained a disappointed whimper, whishing for her to touch his most intimate parts.

When the corners of her mouth lifted upwards in a smug and self conscious smile, it was his undoing.

He took her other leg, positioning it on his left hip, so she was trapped between him and the wall, her sex brushing against his belly.

He cupped it with one hand, feeling the heat radiating from it. He started by teasing her around her labia, his touch soft and gentle, his fingers like feathers.

She squirmed under his hands and pushed her heels on his lower back, straining to push herself higher on the wall, to escape his unbearable teasing.

However, he kept her steady with one hand on her hip and thrust one finger inside her, basking in the loud moan that got out from her lips.

Charles then kissed her, mimicking with his tongue the circular motions he was applying on that other part of her.

Elsie let out a throaty sigh, the warmness of her breath tickling his upper lip.

"Charles," she murmured, closing her eyes and swallowing.

He inserted another finger and kissed the column of her throat, while she locked her arms around his neck, pushing his head gently towards her chest, which he covered in tiny kisses, leaving a trail of goosebumps on his path.

"Charles, she breathed once more.

He stopped his ministrations and looked at her, waiting for her to speak.

Her face was flushed, her damp hair tousled, her light blue eyes sparkling.

She bit her lip hard, almost drawing blood.

He didn't know how much it cost her to say those words.

Charles blinked. He released his grip and helped her to come down.

Elsie glanced up at him again, obviously ill at ease.

She inhaled deeply and let it all out. She couldn't do it.

"Please," she only managed to say, in a croaking voice. It was the first time she spoke after he had kissed her in the bathroom.

"I need you," she added in her mind.

He didn't need further explanations. He understood want she wanted.

He would have wished for an excuse, or a simple and explicit request to take her to bed...

She hadn't said anything of that. She had only said 'please', but in that moment it was more than enough for him.

Charles would do anything for her.

Offering her his hand he led her to their bedroom, to worship her like she deserved.

She was his goddess, the object of his veneration, not the victim ready for sacrifice.

She was his stone simulacrum, not a lamb raised for slaughter.

Elsie laid down on the bed, extending her arms out for him. Charles bent down to undo his shoe laces, then he unfastened his trousers and let them fall to the ground, proceeding to do the same with his underwear.

He gladly took her hands and neared her, his body covering hers. Her hands moved on his sides like he had done with her before, sliding down his strong arms, tracing the outline of his buttocks.

Charles touched her lips with his softly, while positioning himself at her entrance. He raised his head to look intently at her as he entered her slowly, giving her the chance to adapt to his member and get used again to the feeling of having him inside her.

She let out a low cry of pain we he entered her, she felt her walls stretching as he buried deeper inside her and bit her lip again to stifle her whimpers.

He looked down at her, concerned. "Everything alright?"

She nodded. "Yes," she said, before taking his face in her hands and kissing him tenderly.

He started moving inside of her, thrusting not too fast, not too hard.

It wasn't the night for a quick romp, he would take his time and worship her body with his.

Elsie deserved this, they both deserved this. After such a long time, being reunited with her felt like retrieving a part of his soul he had long since lost.

A solitary tear threatened to fall and he glanced up at the ceiling to stop its course, but it streaked down his cheek and fell on the valley between her breasts.

She smiled slightly at his emotional reaction and cupped his cheek with her hand, kissing him hard, pushing herself up to meet him at the same time.

He didn't know how it happened, he simply lost control (that wonderful woman beneath him, controlling his body like he was a puppet) and spilled himself inside her.

He then kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose and mouth to apologize for finishing before her, whispering "I'm sorry".

But Elsie pushed him away gently, separating from him and curling in bed like a tiny ball, giving her back to him.

Charles put his hand on her hip trying unsuccessfully to turn her to face him. He neared her and enveloped her in his arms.

"Elsie? Whatever is the matter?"

He felt her body rock and tremble with sobs.

Then she spoke in a strained voice, barely audible. "_I am_ the one who's sorry."

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**Liked this? Leave a review please!**

**Seriously, I posted this at 1.30 AM for you please rewards my efforts I'm sleepy.**


	5. Five

**Here I am, it's 1.30 AM again.**

**Sorry for any errors, it's late.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Five.**

He propped himself on one elbow, kissing her naked shoulder gently.

"Please, explain yourself."

She turned slightly towards him, wiping angrily a tear from the corner of her right eye.

"What do I need to explain? I thought it was rather obvious, what was happening between us," she said, almost chocking on her words. "Anyway that was before you kissed me and seduced me into going to bed with you."

He waited a while before responding, pondering his answer. "I thought you wanted it as much as I did."

"In fact, I did," she huffed, frustrated.

Honestly, he could be so deliberately obtuse at times.

"Then I don't..." he stopped in midsentence, biting his tongue hard, cursing his big mouth.

He tried to correct himself but she interrupted him.

"Then you don't think we need to sort this out, do you? Now you had your way with me you reckon it's all right between us?" she sniffed.

Charles sat up in bed. "No, I don't... What made you think...?" he stuttered, trying to clarify.

Elsie spoke again, preventing him from going on. "Because I don't, you see. I don't think we sorted this whole mess out just because we made love two seconds ago!"

"Elsie, please..." he murmured, touching her hair.

"No, don't touch me!" she exclaimed, sitting up and scooting away from him, ignoring the falling of the sheet covering her chest.

"You just... I only..." she blabbered, before breaking down crying in front of him.

She covered her face with her hands, angry with him, angry with _herself_.

Why had she been so stupid? Why had she kept her distance from him, treating him like a stranger?

"I'm so, so sorry, Charles," she croaked, her voice muffled by her hands.

He slowly moved closer to her and hesitantly enveloped her in his arms.

The contact between the cold skin of her shoulder and the warmth of his chest sent a jolt down her spine, like a wave of hot flames.

She was startled by his nearness and turned her head the other way, while trying to push him away feebly.

"Please, don't."

Charles ignored her request and tightened his embrace, burying his face in her still damp hair.

She was like a roaring fire, hot and fierce. Your good sense forced you to stay away from it, stay away from danger, but your body needed it. The more you got away from it, the more you suffered the cold. The more you got near it, the more it warmed your heart.

But now his fire had lost its spark. There she was, crying her eyes out in his arms, and he couldn't do anything to lessen her pain.

He kissed her hair softly, murmuring nonsense words to comfort her, while rocking slowly back and forth, like he would if lulling a child.

Elsie turned her head towards his chest and warm tears streaked his skin, in the same way his single tear had found his way down to her bosom while they were making love.

There she was, his stone simulacrum, his fire goddess, now reduced to a child searching for a little comfort after a nightmare, a lost lamb looking for shelter during a storm.

She had divested herself of her unreachable figure, of her unbreakable self, only to bend like a cane snapped in two by the wind, to crumble down in front of him, to show him the raw emotions boiling inside of her, that she had kept bottled for God knew how many days, months.

She was like this, a fire that burned quick and bright, leaving quiet embers... but underneath them remained a soft glow, a little spark, a thin streak of smoke that persisted under the coals and never went out.

She was the one with a hot temper, she shouted and gave him a piece of her mind... but something always remained in her, stewing, brewing, until it was time to ignite her being again, although with a different type of fire, that burned slowly, almost miserably, but very intensely.

"Elsie," he started quietly. "If you only said what's wrong, what got you so upset, we could sort it out."

"I thought you knew, I supposed you thought the same things as me..." she mumbled incoherently.

"What things?"

She raised her head to look at him, her eyes glistening in the morning light coming in from the window, filtered by the curtains.

"It's all my fault if we are like this now."

"It has been both of us, Elsie. It your fault as well as mine."

"But I started it, didn't I?"

He opened his mouth to reply but closed it again after while, at loss for what to say.

"Oh, Charles. I don't know what came over me. I felt so out of place here, in a new house, _my own_ new house."

"You never had problems in running a house. You were the housekeeper of Downton Abbey - one of the finest, I must say."

She smiled slightly through her tears. "It's not I was worried about running our house, it's just... I wanted to please you, Charles."

He frowned in confusion. "But you do please me. More than please me, I must say," he confessed genuinely, making her blush under his sincere gaze.

"It's not that. I wanted to be able to cook properly and to be a proper wife for you. You're my man and I would do anything for you, to make you happy... but I did the completely opposite thing I suppose. I was nervous and felt the pressure of having to sustain a different way of life, where you and I would be in the same house or room all day long, where I would have to cook meals for you... and I couldn't bear the thought of failing. I have never failed in my work, I couldn't fail in my life with you."

He had never seen her so fragile and it scared him a bit.

"We all make mistakes, Elsie. We're human, that's what renders us so unique and different from others," he affirmed in a low voice.

She gazed at him, bringing a hand to his cheek, caressing his skin through his stubble.

"You make me happy, Elsie Hughes," he said, his voice broking with emotion. He cupped her face with his hands. "You make me very happy, even with your imperfections."

She sobbed and her face opened in a smile. "Why didn't the poets come to you, Mr Carson?" she demanded teasingly, looking up at him so tenderly his heart melt.

What a pair of fools, they were. What a pair of old, lovesick fools they were.

Charles leaned in, kissing her nose, her cheeks, the corners of her mouth and finally her lips.

The soft and brief kiss turned into a long and passionate one. They both took their time in exploring each other's mouths, their tongues tangling, teasing, chasing one another.

We they separated, he settled down in bed, bringing her with him. He arranged the covers properly over them and dropped a kiss on her head, while she snuggled closer to him.

They soon fell asleep, their minds and senses filled with thoughts and sensations the other evoked in them.

They didn't need to say they loved each other, Charles thought before surrendering to sleep, because that was their nature.

They shown it with actions and facts, they shown it in everyday's life, they shown it in a simple "good morning" or a "be careful" or a "I'll do it for you."

They shown it in making love and crying with emotion. They shown it in a heated discussion, in slamming doors and killing glares.

They shown it simply being their selves and trying, as best as they could, to fit together despite their faults and flaws.

**. . .**

When Elsie woke the sun had gone down. She opened one eye lazily, with a satisfied smile on her face, glancing at the clock on her bedside table. It was almost eight in the evening.

She turned to her sleeping husband, only to find his side of the bed empty.

She sat up into bed and searched the room for his figure, not finding him.

A sense of dread invaded her, contorting her insides.

She covered her face with her hands, tangling her fingers in her locks.

He had left her alone, again. He had left her in bed alone, like in those awful months of separation.

Was he disappointed with her?

What had she done wrong this time?

She got up quickly, putting a cotton dressing gown over her naked body and opening the door to look for him.

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**I would be so glad if you left a review.**


	6. Six

**Hey there folks.**

**I noticed that at the end of chapter fic I wrote Elsie woke up the morning after, but I don't think that sleeping so much would be humanly possible (not for me at least) since they made love in late morning. So I changed the last part of the chapter, setting it and this chapter ahead in the same evening of the 'smutty day'.**

**Sorry for the slip, but it was reeeeeally late yesterday night (morning).**

**Anyway, hope you'll like this.**

**(I guess I'm making a habit of posting at 1.30 AM *sighs at her own uselessness*)**

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**Six. **

The corridor was cold and empty.

A chill pervaded her body along her spine and Elsie shuddered, feeling the contrast with the warmth of her bed.

She fastened her dressing gown more tightly around herself and looked for Charles in the bathroom, only to find it empty again.

The water she had used to wash herself was still in the tub, now grown cold.

She closed the door behind her, after glancing again at the bathtub with an expression of melancholic longing.

She kept repeating herself he had just woke before her and gone somewhere in the house.

He was probably in the kitchen, preparing their dinner, or in the living room, reading his book. Their house wasn't the Abbey, it wouldn't be too difficult finding him.

_Unless he didn't want to be found._

Elsie descended the stairs swiftly, calling out for him.

"Charles? Where are you, Charles?"

Her voice bounced off the walls before being swallowed by the hard bricks, providing no response for her.

She spotted the book he had been reading, which was laying down open on the settee, its cover pointing at the ceiling, the gold letters of the title glimmering on its spine in the faint darkness.

Elsie moved to the kitchen, mentally kicking herself for having slept so much.

It's wasn't like her at all.

The room was immersed in silence, in stillness.

The chairs on which they had sat down to eat where in the same positions of the morning, slightly more distant from the table than they should have been, untouched.

He hadn't noticed they were out of place. It wasn't like him at all.

That was probably what retirement was doing to them, wasn't it?

She slept more.

He observed less.

And they had never been more distant from each other.

However, Elsie had felt connected with him that morning.

She had hoped in a new possibility, a chance to be reunited not only in the body but also in the spirit.

A chance to regain the moments they had lost in those months, a chance to grasp his arm before he got too far away, before he slipped through her fingers.

She had failed.

She passed a hand over her face, as if trying to wipe away that mask of negativity and sadness that was overwhelming her, clouding her mind.

The helplessness was crushing her.

Elsie set the chairs in place, as if in the grip of his obsession for order, before going to the window, putting aside a curtain to glance outside in the garden.

And there he was.

If her heart had had a voice it would have sighed in relief. She almost burst out laughing at her own stupidity.

How could she think he had left her again, after their reconciliation? How could she think so poorly of him?

Elsie pressed a hand to her cheek, as if to keep her eyes from tearing up again.

She felt so emotional in those days, she didn't even recognize herself anymore.

Had retirement changed them?

Had she changed? Had he changed?

Charles was kneeling in the grass, wearing an old shirt and patched trousers he used for working in the garden.

His sleeves were rolled up over his elbow, the shirt itself stained with dirt and mud, the fabric on his back drenched in sweat.

Elsie gazed fondly at her man, deeply concentrated in the task at hand.

He was still fit for his age and very energetic. She could see the muscles of his back tense, the same was for those of his arms.

She observed how he dug purposefully into the soil to remove roots and weeds, how his face lightened up in a grin when he succeeded in extracting a particularly tough one.

She gazed at him for a few minutes in the quiet of their house, then decided to exit.

The chilly air outside stung her skin like a million pinches but she didn't care. She wandered in his direction, her arms folded on her chest, trying to keep herself warm.

"What are you doing at this hour?" she demanded.

He was startled by her voice and jumped a little. "Elsie! You scared me to death!"

"_You_'ll catch _your_ death if you don't come in soon," she reprimanded him. "Anyway isn't it a bit too dark for digging up roots?"

He sat back on his legs, looking up at her. "I believe you're right."

Charles got up slowly, groaning when he felt his back crack.

"Come on in then, it's cold here," she urged him.

"Said the one who got out with a dressing gown on."

She opened her mouth to reply but quickly closed it, biting her lip.

How wanton of her.

Shaking her head, she finally raised on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "And nothing underneath," she affirmed in a husky voice before walking away from him, hips swaying more than usual.

Charles widened his eyes, astonished, looking attentively at her form and trying to detect if she was indeed wearing nothing under her cotton dressing gown.

He followed her willingly, like a puppy would with his mother, like a bewitched fool would with a sorceress.

When he got in, he found her busying herself in the kitchen, opening cabinets and drawers to lay down the table for dinner.

He snacked behind her and put his arms gently but hesitantly on her hips, fearing her reaction. He had burnt himself once with her, he wouldn't want to do it twice.

She didn't pull away from him. Emboldened by her acceptance, Charles slid down his hands to cup her bottom, feeling that she indeed had nothing underneath.

He moaned loudly and Elsie's lips twitched while she tried to contain her smug smile.

"What was that, Mr Carson?"

"You have only this on. _Just_ this," he noticed in a strained voice.

"I believe I said it to you earlier," she commented nonchalantly while igniting the fire on the cooker.

He moved his hands slowly to her front, rising them upwards to cup her breasts.

"Why don't we go and have a bath together?" he growled in her ear.

"You certainly need a bath, Charles," she agreed. "But I'm rather famished at the moment. Also, go and wash your hands, you're dirtying my dressing gown."

He thought madly that she was the one dirtying his thoughts, but he sheepishly let go of her and stepped back.

"Well then," he announced in his most professional tone. "I'm going to take a bath, you know where to find me _if_ you _need_ me."

He made his way to the bathroom but stopped halfway through, returning on his steps only to point out, almost anxiously, "You know I'm going to wait for you upstairs after you've eaten, don't you?"

She turned to face him, cupping his concerned looking face to kiss his big nose.

"Of course I know, you daft man. Now go and get yourself clean."

And he obeyed more than willingly.

After all, wasn't that what he did always, when she was the one ordering him about?

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**Please leave a review. I promise more hot moments to come.**


	7. Seven

**Hey guys! Happy New Year! Hope it will bring you all you wished for!**

**Enjoy this smutty chapter :)**

***sings* and it's 1.30 AM agaaaaaain, and I'm a loseeeer**

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**Seven. **

Elsie ascended the stairs hesitantly, stopping every three or four steps as if colliding with an invisible barrier.

What if he rejected her? What if he had changed his mind and didn't want her to join him?

She shook head and stepped higher on the stairs, attempting to break the barriers her own self was building up.

She reached the bathroom door and turned the doorknob, peeping in uncertainly.

Charles was lying in the water, one arm stretched out on the edge of the bathtub, the other tracing patterns through the soap bubbles, his head lolling to one side.

Upon hearing the door opening, he turned to face her, taking in her beautiful body covered with her simple nightgown. Her hair was still arranged in a braid, as was her custom before heading to bed, although a few strands escaped from it.

"You came," he commented in a soft and slightly relieved tone.

She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think I would follow you up here?"

"I don't know," he replied sincerely.

Elsie lowered her eyes.

No, he didn't know. And how could he, when they had just gone through a period of distance, uncertainty and rejection?

She sighed. "Well, I'm here now. I came in the end."

Charles smiled widely. "Yes, you did."

He reached out for her, expending his arms out of the tub. "Come here."

She wavered. "Is it big enough for two?"

"I think it is, yes. Anyway, we will discover it only if you enter."

She obliged, stopping in front of the tub to untie her dressing gown and let it pool at her feet.

As his jaw dropped, Elsie blushed in self-consciousness, playing with the end of her braid with her nervous hands.

Without taking his eyes off her, he helped her getting into the tub and sit in the water, opposite to him.

Once she was settled without problems, the tub being spacious enough for two, to the delight of both, he spoke. "So."

"So," she echoed, deliberately avoiding looking at him.

She was embarrassed and she hated it.

He was her husband, for goodness sake, what they were about to do was normal, they had always done it. She supposed one could call it stage fright. They hadn't made love in quite a long time and what happened a few hours before had been completely unexpected but still, it had felt completely natural. Now though, they both knew how this situation was going to end.

He took her hands in his and pulled slightly at her wrists, urging her to raise her head.

After a moment of hesitance, she did. He was looking at her with kind and warm eyes, full of concern.

"I do not want to pressure you," he explained. "If you don't want..."

"Oh, sod it," she thought vehemently.

Elsie interrupted him by launching herself in his arms, splashing a great amount of water out of the tub.

She locked her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes, assisting carefully to his reaction.

His expression changed quickly from concerned to astonished.

If anything, she had managed to surprise him.

Their faces were very close, their noses almost bumping into one another, their breaths mingling together.

Elsie's bosom heaved with emotion, her nipples grazing the skin and hair of her husband's chest.

"Are you sure?" he asked carefully, taken aback by her behaviour.

She nodded vigorously, moistening her lips in anticipation.

Charles swallowed at the sight and felt himself hardening.

She must have felt that too, for she drew her face impossibly closer to his, their lips almost touching.

He leaned in as she did and their noses bumped.

Elsie laughed nervously and tilted her head a bit to kiss him, but he tilted his head in the same way, at the same time.

When they repeated the exact thing for the third time, she took his face in her hands, sighing in exasperation, and kissed him squarely on the mouth.

He instantly tightened his grip on her, drawing her closer still. She straddled his body, feeling his erection press against her stomach.

Elsie opened her mouth to his tongue, letting him explore it while she pressed against his body, making him groan and close his eyes in pleasure.

Then she suddenly inserted one hand in the water, gripping him and stroking him gently.

Startled, he opened his eyes, astonished for the second time that day.

She smirked and touched his tip carefully, her fingertips feeling like feathers on his sensitive skin, before encircling his shaft with her hand, moving it up and down more vigorously.

He reclined his head with a long moan and she took the chance to kiss him on his neck, while continuing her ministrations.

"Elsie..." he murmured, almost pleadingly.

But she was unstoppable. It was as if something had pulled her trigger, unleashing her passion and provoking her present reactions.

She was a bird freed from his cage, a prisoner that sees the sun again after decades of darkness.

Charles couldn't deny he was liking every minute of it.

He cupped her breasts with his hands, teasing her nipples with his fingers, but she swatted his hands away, with a look of reprimand on her face.

"But..." he protested childishly.

"Don't talk, Mr Carson. We'll talk later," she silenced him.

Taking hold of him once again with one hand, she lowered herself slowly onto him, leaning on the bathtub edge with one arm to sustain her body.

They both groaned deeply at the feeling, he incased in her warm slit, she stretching in order to accommodate to his large member.

When she started to move, he gripped her buttocks, kneading her flesh, as she pressed herself flat on his chest, tangling her fingers in his hair, caressing the nape of his neck.

She was driving him hard, biting her lip, her breasts bouncing up and down and stroking his chest forcefully, her nipples tickled by his soft chest hair.

Ignoring her previous reaction, he bent his head to tease one of them with his tongue and she whimpered loudly, not bothering to stop him, but pulling away from him a bit.

She put her hands behind her to sustain her weight while she moved in a new position, basking in the sensations this angle brought to her.

He grunted and took hold of her hips, helping her set the pace, this time not as hard as before.

Charles kissed the valley between her breasts, descending along her stomach to her navel, while she arched back into the water, her braid getting wet.

He then touched their joint with one of his fingers and, emboldened by her prolonged groan, he teased and tickled the area repeatedly.

Elsie put her arms again around his neck, moving with a harder pace, helped by his strong hands.

She heard her own breath coming in short rants and she knew she was close.

After moving her hips against his in circling motions, she raised herself slightly with her hands on his shoulders and sat down hard on him, crying out as her orgasm flooded through her in gentle waves, bringing Charles over the edge with her.

She slumped against his chest as she caught her breath, while he caressed her bare back with long strokes, feeling her hot breath tickling his ear.

After the hectic beating of her heart had subsided, she pulled back, glancing at his face.

He was looking at her with the most loving expression she had ever seen.

She sighed as she cupped his face in her hands, her eyes glimmering with tears.

What had she done to deserve him? To deserve this handsome, patient and kind man?

Elsie touched her lips with his in a long and gentle kiss, trying to convey all her love for him, even if it wasn't enough, it would never be enough.

But wasn't showing their feelings for each other concretely what they had always done?

Hadn't she done the same thing by making love with him?

The thought of having displayed the depth of her love for Charles at least a bit comforted her, for she knew very well they would have to go through a long chat afterwards... and she wasn't ready for it at all.

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**I'm deliberately begging you to leave a review.**


	8. Eight

**Good evening babies!**

**Sorry for the little delay, this chapter was a bit of hard to write, as several of you know, since my complaints on Tumblr. Thank you for supporting me through this, thanks Mona, carryonlaughingandpainting, quirkette100 who encouraged me and to all of you who continue to follow, read and review this story. **

**I seriously didn't think you would like this so much. I still can't comprehend how, ahaha!**

**I do hope to have explained both Elsie's and Charles' reasons clearly. Do tell me if you liked it.**

**Enjoy this chapter, read the fruits of my hard work. Also, it's 1.30 AM again. YEAH!**

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**Eight. **

Charles was the first to break the silence between them. "How about we get out of here, dry up and get all warm and cozy in bed?"

"That sounds nice enough," she agreed, before separating from him and standing up to retrieve the towel she had used in the morning, which was still lying on the ground next to the toilet.

She bent down and he had a clear view of her breasts and backside, as she stretched in order to get it.

Elsie mumbled something about how damp it still was, before starting to dry herself. She first passed it on her arms and shoulders, before pressing it to her chest and stomach, absorbing the water with movements that, although practical, couldn't stop him from sighing aloud in appreciation, leaning with his back against the bathtub walls to fully enjoy the sight.

She bent one leg over the edge he couldn't help the groan that escaped from his lips at seeing her pubic hair and what was concealed under them. She probably pretended not to have heard him and started rubbing her leg with energy, pulling it out from the tub before repeating the same action with the other one.

Once she had completely gotten out, she took a clean towel for him and, after he got up, the drops of water travelling down his body, Elsie trying hard not to look at him from head to toe, she wrapped it around him, as he had done for her previously.

However, the towel covered not as much of Charles' body as it did for her, so she averted her eyes while she passed her hands over his biceps and back, applying enough pressure to dry his skin.

After she was done with that, she pressed the cloth to his chest, patting from his navel all the way up to his neck, standing on her tiptoes in order to reach it and deliberately avoiding his steady gaze.

"Well then, Mr Carson," she commented once she was finished, putting the towel aside. "You can step out of the water now."

He did, supporting himself on the washbasin as he exited the tub in order not to lose his balance.

Charles walked towards her and put his arms around her waist, completely naked as the day he was born. She could feel his manhood brushing against her leg.

He was playing with her damp braid with one hand while keeping her against him tightly with the other.

"I'm the one who's famished now," he announced with a small smile. "Do get yourself ready for bed. I'll fix myself something and join you when I finish eating."

She looked up at him coyly, biting her lip.

"What?" he asked softly.

"Are you going downstairs like this? Naked as a wee bairn?"

He understood she was biting her lip to stifle her laughter and put on a mock outraged expression, grabbing the towel she had left behind and wrapping it around his waist, partially covering his nudity. He then strode out of the room with his head held high and a very butler-like look on his face.

Elsie took her time in preparing herself for bed. She brushed her teeth, arranged her hair into a braid again and wore her usual night gown, avoiding to put on any underwear on purpose.

Who knew how their chat would end up.

When she exited the bathroom, Charles was going up the stairs, so she waited him on top, reaching out for him.

He took her hand, grazing the skin on its back with his thumb, slowly bringing it to his lips to kiss it. He then entwined their fingers together and made his way to the bedroom, pulling her after him.

Once inside, he got into bed and raised the covers for her to enter. Elsie rolled on her side, her head on the pillow and turned in his direction.

They gazed at each other for what seemed to both a very long time, each of them lost into their own thoughts.

When his wife cleared her throat, Charles was brought to reality.

"I don't know how to start," she commenced truthfully. "I'm sorry."

"You needn't apologize again, Elsie. It was both of us who..."

"Please Charles, don't interrupt me," she said, more curtly than she had intended.

He closed his mouth and nodded understandingly, encouraging her to go on.

"I feel sorry for behaving how I did. I feel sorry for rejecting you without an apparent reason and for letting myself forget about all the things that rendered our relationship what it is, for not making an effort to keep it going."

"And I apologize for stepping away from you, for giving up with you instead of trying to solve our issues. I regret not talking to you sooner, not attempting to make you speak up your mind."

He then propped himself on one elbow and neared her, caressing her face.

"You do please me, Elsie," he repeated, trying to emphasize his point.

"Even if you're not an excellent cook, even if you still don't know exactly how to conduct this completely different kind of life and feel uneasy about it. Because I do, you know. I feel the same."

"You do?"

"Yes. We've been married for fifteen years but never had the chance to live with one another as in a proper marriage - it's a miracle His Lordship allowed us to live here, after we told him we have been married for almost two decades unbeknownst to him."

"We did have to work hard to get this cottage, though."

He nodded in agreement.

"It was, and still is, a bit puzzling living in this way. Even if we've been working side by side for decades and staying under the same roof, we never shared one another's habits properly. Even if we got several opportunities to have our moments together, I still had to learn a lot about you when we retired: how you fold your clothes over the back of the chair before going to bed, how you arrange your air in the morning, how you like to sleep during the night, how you go through your day..."

She smiled at him, turning her head to kiss his big palm.

"You have been my most trusted colleague, you are my best friend, the woman I fell in love with and married, my wife of fifteen years. I could never resent you and you could never displease me," he concluded. He didn't usually have the chance to get so sentimental, so he had better seize the day and make the best of it. He was really pouring out his heart for her to see, to touch with her hands his most intimate feelings.

Then, out of sudden, he added, "Have I let you down?"

She was startled by his question and spent a few seconds in silence before responding. "Yes and no. I knew you were avoiding me because of my behaviour, at first I was relieved you had grasped what I meant by refusing you. But then, after a few weeks, I thought you had lost interest in me. I woke in the morning only to find your place next to me empty, I spent a lot of time alone while you were out in the garden and even when you were inside, you read and didn't pay me much attention. So I guessed you didn't want to be bothered and left you by yourself. I went to Beryl so at least I could learn something to cook for you at meal time."

Charles felt his insides twist. He had never considered things this way. At first he had accepted her decision, putting it down to her tiredness and search for a bit of rest and freedom in her own house, then he had got frustrated because of it. It seemed irrational, meaningless, planned only to make him suffer. But soon the annoyance and outrage turned into melancholy and he found himself longing for a woman who didn't even consider him anymore.

It hadn't been like this. She had refused him in the first days, yes, but then his offended reaction made her step further away from him, afraid to hurt him more.

So they had spent their first months of their retirement thinking the other didn't wished to stay with them anymore, wondering, repressing inquiries they wanted to ask, probably crying (on her part) and staring the ceiling until he fell asleep (on his part).

How foolish they both had been. She had worried herself sick because she strived to be the wife every man would wish for, he had been incapable of forgiving and understanding her reasons and they both had been too coward to ask the other what was wrong.

He took a deep sigh. "I'm really sorry about it, Elsie."

She cupped his face as well and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "I'm really sorry too. Are we at peace with each other now?"

Charles nodded. "Of course. We've both been stupid, but it's past now."

She kissed the tip of his nose and settled down comfortably in his arms, her back against his chest.

He nestled his face in her neck and inhaled the scent of her skin.

"I was thinking..." he started, his chest rumbling with his deep voice.

"Yes?"

"Now that we are at peace with each other, as you said, we could..."

She turned in his arms, an amused expression on her face. "We could what?"

"You know, have another..." he tried to hint at her while he caressed her side, sliding his hand from her shoulder down to her arm and waist, before reaching her bottom, noticing she had no underwear on.

He groaned and she moved her head towards the window to hid her smug look.

"Another what?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"I do believe you know what I'm talking about, Mrs Carson, since you neglected wearing you underwear."

"Did I? I must have forgotten it," she commented while running one of her hands up along his thigh.

He moaned and turned her to face him, ravishing her mouth with kisses. "I think instead that was deliberate."

"Might be," she replied half heartedly, raising her leg over his hip and pressing against him.

"But you are wearing only your underwear, Mr Carson, at least I have the decency of putting on my night gown," she whispered in his hear.

"Well," he retorted, before climbing atop of her. "I suppose I can make short work of it."

She giggled softly and caressed his cheeks with her hands. "You know, Charles, you please me most of the time, even if you will probably never get rid of your butler habits and you like to boss me around although you're not my superior anymore."

He looked shocked. "I'm not bossy. And I was never able to boss you around anyway. You always made things your way."

She chuckled. "Because my way is better than yours. And you are definitely bossy."

Charles raised one eyebrow dangerously. "If you say so. Let's see how bossy I can be then," he growled, before leaning in for a long and passionate kiss.

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**Please leave me a review! Did you like it? Is it enough clear? Did you expected more?**

**Sorry, I was so in panic for this chapter ^^'**


	9. Nine

**I actually almost blushed while writing this. It's so naughty. **

**Thank you for your support you're all amazing.**

**Enjoy! **

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**Nine.**

Elsie moaned as his lips traveled lower on her neck, perilously close to her bosom. Charles laughed against her skin, raising his head to look at her.

She wiggled under him and his distraction allowed her to push him on his back, standing on all fours above him.

She swayed her hips, raising on eyebrow and cocking her head to one side.

"What were you up to, Mr Carson?" she asked, her Scottish lilt more pronounced.

"What do you think I was up to?" he retorted with a twinkle in his eyes.

She leaned in, her warm breath tickling his face, "I don't know."

Charles raised his head from the pillow to kiss her, but she was swifter and sat back on him before he could catch her lips with his.

However in his trying he sat up too quickly and he felt a pang of pain in his back. He grimaced and Elsie's broad grin faded.

"Charles? What happened?"

He groaned in response and she urged him to rest back against the pillow.

"It's my back," he muttered. "I think some of my muscles might be strained."

"Oh, my poor man. You shouldn't work so much in the garden."

"I didn't work much today."

"But you did yesterday, the day before yesterday and the day before that. Besides, today you worked until late evening, in the darkness and chill outside. It's no wonder your back suffered in the aftermath."

He kept himself from rolling his eyes at her.

"I suppose our... _activities_ will have to be postponed."

Her eyes widened. "Of course they _are_ to be postponed! What sort of wife do you think I am?"

He pulled at her nightgown, making her lower her head to kiss her.

"A very good wife."

Elsie simply smiled... then an idea struck her.

She bit her lip, while looking at him.

"What is it?" he demanded gently.

"Lay on your stomach," she ordered him.

"Why?"

She got off him. "Just do it. Trust me."

Charles rolled with difficulty onto his stomach. "What now?"

"Now I rub the knots out of your back."

"Why, Mrs Carson, you are very creative."

"Thank you," she responded. "Tell me where you're hurting, please."

After he had described what she needed to know, she straddled him once again, careful not to place her weight on the spots that were aching the most.

As soon as she sat on him, Charles felt her warmth and wetness against his skin and he groaned aloud. Incapable of turning to face her, he moaned in frustration.

"What's the matter now?"

"_You_, woman," he mumbled.

She tried to suppress her grin, even if he couldn't see her. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied casually.

"I believe you do, very... aaaaah!" he sighed in pleasure when she started massaging his back, losing track of what he was trying to say.

"Just enjoy the message, Charles," Elsie suggested.

He closed his eyes and put his head on the pillow, feeling her hands gently but energetically rubbing his skin, massaging the knots in his muscles and travelling slowly down his back.

She was moving to the rhythm of her own massages and he could feel her shifting back and forth on his lower back and butt, creating a delicious sense of friction.

He tried to concentrate hard on relaxing, on her hands slowly unknotting his muscles, but he couldn't help being aroused by the feeling of her labia grazing against his buttocks.

"Can I turn on my back now?"

"Not yet," she answered.

"You know, you're not helping at all."

She stopped her ministrations. "Am I doing this badly? Am I hurting you more?" she asked, concerned.

"Oh no, not that," he reassured her eagerly. "It's just..." he trailed off, hoping she would catch his meaning.

A few seconds passed before she gasped. "Oh!"

She blushed and was grateful he couldn't see her. "I'll put a pair of knickers on if you wish."

He almost laughed out loud at her reaction. She seemed genuinely surprised and ashamed for not wearing underwear - or better, for not having remembered to put her underwear before climbing on him.

Above all, Charles was more amused by the fact she hadn't even realized to be naked underneath her nightgown, for she had been too much engrossed by her task.

"No, it's fine. More than fine actually."

"But you're not relaxing properly and I..."

"Believe me, Elsie. I'm relaxing _more_ than properly. Actually I do think this is pushing the boundaries of propriety."

He got a roll of her hips in response and he bit his lip to stifle a growl.

"Is it?" she demanded, trying to sound as innocently as possible.

Now she wasn't playing fair at all. The mask of unawareness had completely slipped, revealing her playful side.

He reached out blindly for her, moving one of his hands up her left thigh, stroking gently her skin.

She swapped his hand away for the second time that day. "Let me finish this, please."

"If you continue with that, I don't know how much I'm going to resist."

"Maybe it's better if I get my knickers on, then."

"I don't think that will change anything," he mumbled sotto voce.

She gyrated her hips once again while sliding her hands up and down his back, before shifting back and forth with her whole body.

Elsie leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Are you sure you don't want me to put on my underwear?"

His affirmative answer was barely audible.

She pressed her body completely against him and he could feel the weight of her breasts against his back, the soft hairs of her mound grazing his lumbar region.

When he clumsily tried to hold her against him however, she wiggled herself free easily and leaned back, stretching like a cat and grounding against his bottom.

Charles couldn't stand it anymore. He rolled on one side and she fell off him, one of her legs trapped under his weight. He then turned, propping himself on his elbows and crawling in her direction.

Elsie pushed herself back against the headboard, attempting to escape him, but he managed to take one of her feet in his hands and kissed it, making her giggle.

"Stop that. You are tickling me."

"And _you_ are teasing me," he returned in a low tone.

"I'm not," she smiled.

"Yes, you are," he said, finally nearing her and drawing her closer to him.

"No, I'm not," she repeated whispering, before he kissed her.

Elsie let his tongue slowly trace the outline of her upper lip before gently teasing his lower lip with her teeth, eliciting a moan from him.

She drew back, shivering at the look in his eyes. He leaned in for another kiss, tightening his grip on her, but she stretched in order to kiss him on the forehead, avoiding his lips, which instead grazed her neck.

Charles tried again to kiss her on the mouth but she avoided him and all of sudden she yawned loudly, covering her pretty mouth with her right hand.

"I'm a bit tired," she announced, settling down in bed and covering her body with the covers.

Charles looked at her with his mouth hanging open, flabbergasted.

"Goodnight," she wished him, before turning on her side, giving her back to him and pretending to sleep.

He laid down in bed, staring at the ceiling furiously. What on earth had she been thinking? Turn him on like that and then...

The corners of his mouth curved into a smug smile.

She was going to pay in the morning. And he was planning his vendetta carefully.

Oh, she was going to pay dearly.

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**Liked the sexy time? Leave a review! **


	10. Ten

**Hey there! I hope you enjoy this chapter; the "action" is split into two parts so you'll have to wait for next chapter to finish reading it.**

**Also, I was thinking I might wrap things up as they are. **

**I didn't intend this to go over five-six chapters and look where I am now. I noticed I'm receiving less reviews so, although I can see several of you still love this (thanks for your support again) maybe it's starting to annoy you... anyway I was thinking of dragging this along for one or two chapters maximum.**

**What do you think?**

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** Ten.**

Elsie awoke slowly, as if Morpheus was shaking her from her drowsiness with gentle kisses.

She could feel the ghost of his lips on her skin, travelling along the inside of her thighs, his hair brushing and tickling her flesh.

Her lips curved upwards in a satisfied smile and she stretched her legs, feeling a more concrete presence between them. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped.

Something was moving under the covers, directly in front of her. Something that was bringing her quite a lot of pleasure.

She slipped a hand underneath the sheets and grasped a handful of soft hair, sighing loudly when he touched her labia with his lips.

"Charrrrrles," she purred, arching her back and tightening her grip on his scalp.

Elsie heard a laugh muffled by the covers.

"What... are you... doing?" she demanded while gasping for breath.

He didn't respond and she perceived him moving over her, kissing his way up on her body.

She shivered and bit her lip to keep from moaning, while he raised the hem of her nightgown higher.

"What are you...?" she stopped in midsentence when his head appeared from under the sheets.

He motioned with his eyes for her to remove her nightgown and she obliged silently, as if hypnotized by his eyes.

Charles exhibited a mischievous grin as he took her in, making her blush. He then lowered his head to kiss the valley between her breasts, before taking one of her nipples in his mouth.

She struggled for breath as he moved his tongue around it in circular motions, taking more of her flesh into his the warmth of his mouth.

Her hips buckled under his weight and she found herself attempting to escape from his grasp, from his lips on her breast, his tongue circling and teasing her nipple.

He was making her dizzy and she didn't like it.

It occurred to her he was probably trying to make her lose it all, he was making her pay for what she did to him the night before.

But Elsie wasn't going to surrender, no sir. She had to remain clear headed, she didn't want to give it up just because his lips, _oh his lips!_, felt so wonderful against her skin and made her shiver all over as they moved downwards.

She almost let out a soft plea as he reached her mound and started caressing it, his fingers ghosting over her skin, making her beg for more.

"Oh, please," she finally murmured.

She felt his smile against her skin, before he gently started sucking on her inner thigh.

As he worked his way up, Elsie sighed, regretting her actions of the previous night - well, not really regretting them. Not if they turned him on like this.

When he inserted one of his fingers in her she wasn't expecting it at all and let out a loud yelp, making him chuckle.

He hooked his finger inside her, moving it back and forth. She sighed in pleasure and shut her eyes tight, feeling her inner walls clench.

Charles continued his task experimenting, varying the pressure and the movements, keeping a steadying hand on her hips to stop them from buckling.

Elsie reached out for him blindly under the blankets, touching his head with her hands and gently pulling at his hair, trying to coax him into coming up and kissing her.

He obeyed and put his arms on either side of her, pinning her down on the mattress with his weight.

Charles then neared his face to hers for a kiss and she closed her eyes in anticipation... but his lips didn't touch hers.

He instead kissed her earlobe, gently teasing it before running his tongue on her ear shell, feeling her tremble in his arms.

He resumed his ministrations on her nipple, made swollen and oversensitive by his recent teasing. He draw back a little and gently blew over the area.

"Charles, please," she repeated again, having completely lost it.

She wanted him so badly she didn't even care if she couldn't resonate anymore. He was driving her wild.

She had lost, he had won.

He raised his head to look at her and gave her a tender smile. However, when she reached out to touch his face, he slipped away.

Getting off her, he sat on his side of the bed and put on his slippers, standing up to wear his dressing gown.

Elsie widened her eyes. "Where...?" she trailed off, aghast.

He glanced at her over his shoulder while tying his dressing gown around his body.

"I think I'll go and enjoy a long soak in the tub. See you later downstairs," he commented before exiting and closing the door after him.

Elsie sat up, indignant.

He was toying with her, that was for sure. She let out an irritated groan and let herself fall back onto the pillow.

That man was infuriating.

Staring at the ceiling, she couldn't tried desperately to ignore the tingle in her loins but it was impossible for her. The slow burning of her muscles was setting her on fire.

She bolted upright in bed and reached for her dressing gown, going out of their bedroom without even her slippers on.

She opened the bathroom door with a slam, finding him bent over the tub, checking the warmth of the water with his hands.

Charles turned at hearing the door banging and looked at her, standing in the doorway, cheeks flushed, eyes bright and hair escaping from her braid.

She neared him determinately, almost in the same way he had done with her the day before and she put her arms around his neck, before raising on her tiptoes and bringing her lips to his.

He took one step back to balance them both and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Charles could feel her nipples straightening against the fabric of her clothing and it aroused him more than he could express.

She started fumbling with his dressing gown, clumsily attempting to untie it and then slipping it down his shoulders, pressing herself flush against him.

He couldn't stand it anymore and made short work of her layers as well, leaving her naked before him.

He stopped to admire her from his height level, the blue of her eyes, her curly brown hair, her supple rosy lips, her white neck, her chest and cleavage, the silk of her skin... she felt marvelous under his hands.

He couldn't bear the sight of this woman in his arms.

This time she had won and he had lost.

No, he corrected himself with a smile, they both had won.

They had overcome all the obstacles and difficulties in their rough and thorny path, together.

He couldn't be more happier. He finally could have her back in his arms, where she belonged: it all felt right, it all made sense now.

Their suffering only made this moment better, sweeter.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and he turned his head to the bathtub, now filled with warm and steamy water.

"Shall we?" he demanded, cocking his head on one side and extending his hand to her.

She gladly took it.

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**As one fanwriter once said...**

***insert shameless plea for a review here***


	11. Eleven

**Hey there! Sorry for the delay, but school started again and it was all a bit messy, not to mention I had smut block, which is probably worse than the normal writer's block so... nevermind.**

**Here's your chapter, I hope you'll enjoy it. **

**Only one to go now, our Chelsie adventure is coming to an end!**

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**Eleven.**

He sat down into the tub and she stepped in after him.

Charles settled comfortably against the bathtub wall and spread his arms along the edge, his eyes roaming up and down her body.

He took in her strong and toned legs, her mound covered in dark curls, her hips and stomach... his gaze raised higher and he stared at her breasts, emitting a low moan when he remembered how they felt in his hands. Her dark pink nipples had been hardened by his previous ministrations and her chest heaved in anticipation.

Elsie averted her gaze, feeling a bit apprehensive under his scrutiny.

Charles smiled at her sudden bashfulness and opened his legs, motioning for her to sit with her back against his chest. She could see his manhood floating in the water and felt a tingle in her lower parts.

She kneeled down with his help, never taking her eyes from him. He was looking at her with a surprisingly calm expression, nothing like her inner tumult, her furiously beating heart.

She sat down on her legs, biting her lip. Then, without notice, she took his member in her hand.

A glint of lust passed in her lover's eyes and she dismissed it with a delighted look, starting to stroke him.

He took her wrist in his hand to stop her and she frowned in confusion.

"Don't worry. Just turn and give your back to me. Trust me," he instructed her in a warm tone.

She nodded silently and snuggled closer to him. Charles draped an arm around her middle and sighed contentedly.

She leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his heart beat against her skin.

It had a calming effect on her, she felt more relaxed listening to his quiet pounding rhythm.

_Dum, dum, dum. Dum, dum, dum._

A shiver ran down her spine when he moved one of his hands over her thigh, caressing it, before running his index from her lower stomach up to her chest, delicately tickling her.

"Stop it with the teasing already," Elsie huffed. She had had enough of his provoking.

He chuckled at her impatient remark. "As you wish," he murmured in her ear, his hand suddenly travelling down her body.

His fingers found her entrance and he pushed one in gently.

She instantly held her breath, feeling the tension build up inside her, silently rejoicing he was resuming his previous activity.

Charles started thrusting in and out of her slit, adding another finger after a while and Elsie panted in his ear, reaching out behind her to grip his hair and pull him impossibly closer.

He seized one of her hips with his free hand and pressed his erection against the cleft of her bottom, while continuing to pleasure her with his right hand.

His name came out from her lips mingled with breathless moans, her chest and cheeks were slightly flushed from their activity, the mere touch of his hand on her skin aroused him.

He felt her inner walls tighten around his fingers and moved his hand up to her chest, stimulating her breasts and nipples.

Only short gasps escaped her lips now, she was close.

Elsie turned her head to kiss him squarely on the mouth, running her tongue over his upper lip while he pushed his fingers further inside her and their bodies moved together in unison.

When she reached her peak, she trembled in his arms and slumped against his chest, inhaling and exhaling heavily. Charles tightened his grip on her and settled his chin on her shoulder, his breath tickling her skin.

"What now, Mr Carson?" she asked, gyrating her hips to increase the friction. He was stone hard against her bottom.

He nuzzled at her neck, squeezing her hip and she turned in his direction, encircling his neck with one arm.

They stared at each other in the eyes and she leaned in as if to kiss him, but drew back when he neared his face to hers.

She saw a flicker of impatience in his upper lip, which he quickly hid with a smug smile.

"Patience, Mr Carson, patience," she said lightly.

"I am patient, Mrs Hughes," he replied seriously, slipping to her maiden name.

Elsie raised one eyebrow. So they were back to Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes now, weren't they?

She opened her mouth to comment but he turned her again, holding her against his chest.

"May I?" he whispered in her ear, hands roaming on her sides.

She nodded and he put his hands on her hips, gently raising her body to adjust her over him.

Charles penetrated her and she bit her lip sharply at the sensation caused by his presence inside her, drawing blood.

He then started moving slowly as he took her from behind, his big hands cupping her breasts, mercilessly teasing her nipples.

She leaned against him as she rocked her hips to meet his thrusts, sustaining herself on the bathtub edge, her already messy hair now coming completely undone and grazing his chest as they fell in gentle waves on her back and shoulders.

He put his nose into it, inhaling her perfume. Her low gasps were music for his ears.

Everything in her was so familiar, her salty skin, the softness of her breasts, her form fitting with his, her loose and curly hair.

He hadn't realized how much he had missed her, how much he had missed this side of their relationship until now.

They had lost so much time in arguing, suffering, tearing each other's hearts for a reason he hadn't still comprehended. They had both made mistakes, the biggest one was to allow themselves to step away from each other only because they didn't understand what was happening anymore.

They could have talked it through, but they didn't, and this had only prolonged their sufferance.

It brought them both to the point of exasperation, it brought them both to expose their bare chests to one another, letting their partner see the raw emotions that were eating them up inside, finally daring to put their thoughts into words for the other to see, to listen, to understand.

It was like this, she supposed. People fell in love, people argued, people laughed and cried and, most importantly, people made up.

They had fallen out the habit of having sex with each other, it could have happened to any couple. The important part was that they had been able to set aside their pride, which had been difficult for both of them, and apologize.

Charles was grunting behind her as they both made their way towards release.

He clutched her hips firmer and started pumping harder, his heart beating like mad now.

He couldn't hold back, he couldn't anymore... Charles came with a soft cry, collapsing against the tub walls with a long and deep sigh.

Elsie turned to look at his ecstatic face with a small smile.

She settled against his chest and he held her in his arms. She could feel the frenetic beating of his heart starting to slow down, her own chest was heaving rapidly.

She hadn't finished with him, but she wasn't bothered by that.

It was about the two of them now. All of it had been about the two of them, getting back together on the rails, regaining confidence in idea of them as a couple.

It had all been about the two of them learning more about themselves, because you'll never learn enough about you spouse and even about yourself.

"I'll try to... to make it... last longer next time," he spoke hesitantly, seeing her lost in thought.

Elsie turned to him and kissed him on the bridge of his nose, still joined intimately with him.

"Don't worry. It was perfect. Thank you."

He kissed her on the cheek. "Come here."

"I am here," Elsie answered, furrowing her brow in confusion.

He chuckled. "No, I meant turn to face me properly, so I can hold you."

She did as he had asked and he wrapped her in his strong arms, her breasts against his chest, their hearts thumping at the same rhythm now.

It was like they were back to playing the same tune once again and it felt so marvelously right.

They stroked their noses against each other, smiling.

"Thank you, Elsie. I don't know where I would be without you."

"Nor I without you," she replied honestly.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly.

"I love you," she whispered when they separated to breathe, her warm breath grazing his lips.

He rested his chin on her right shoulder, his jaw set hard to keep himself from spilling a few tears.

It had been so long since she had said that.

He tightened his grip on her and kissed her naked skin.

"I love you too."

It felt like being whole again.

It felt like coming home.

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**Please leave a review with your opinions on the chapter!**


	12. Twelve

**Hey theeeeeeere! **

**Sorry for the delay, I've been very busy this week ^^' I wrote almost the entire chapter at school (thank God we're Italian and I wasn't writing in my own language eheheh).**

**This is the last chapter of this exciting (or so I hope you found it) and angsty/smutty journey. I just wanted to thank all of you, for leaving me lots of reviews (95 for a silly story like this? OMG!), as well as the 37 followers and the 14 who favourited this. THANK YOU SO MUCH, it means a lot to me as a writer, especially as a non English speaking writer. **

**You guys are amazing, cute and really supportive.**

**Enjoy the last smut!**

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**Twelve. **

Elsie turned in bed and sighed loudly.

She felt a warm presence next to her and she opened one eye lazily. The first thing she saw was her sleeping husband's face.

Her heart warmed at the sight. She wasn't alone anymore.

Charles mumbled something in his sleep and frowned slightly, before whimpering contently and going back into the depths of his dream.

His wife smiled fondly at the scene enfolding before her and reached out to pass her hand through his hair, tangling her fingers in his errant curls, gently stroking the skin behind her ear.

She leaned in and hesitantly grazed his lips with hers, watching as he responded to her kiss slowly before opening his eyes sleepily.

Once he realized Elsie was kissing him however, he slid one arm around her waist and drew her to him, kissing her back with fervor.

They took their time in exploring and teasing each other's mouth, their breaths becoming as one, as they suckled and nibbled at one another's skin.

Elsie felt his morning erection pressing against her belly and she smiled against his mouth, caressing his slightly rough cheek.

"Good morning," she murmured, kissing him on the chin.

She perceived, rather than heard, his low response, his chest rumbling with the vibrations of his deep voice.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked him.

"Better than the past months, surely," he commented huskily.

She nodded in agreement and her hair stroked the stubble of his beard, tickling him.

"Do you want some breakfast?" she demanded quietly.

"I'm rather famished, now I think of it."

"Well then," she said, jumping off the bed after kissing his chest.

"Come along!" she spurred him, leaving the room quickly, naked as the day she was born.

He stared at her bottom as the door closed after her. He heard her soft giggles in the hallway, then the bathroom door opening and closing.

When Charles went down, wearing his underwear and undershirt, he found her in the kitchen, clad in just her dressing gown.

"You remembered to put something on in the end, to cover your modesty."

She didn't even look at him as she started opening the cupboards to draw out their cups, fretting over the cooker to put on the kettle.

"It is none of your business if I cover my nakedness or not," she replied curtly, but he detected a smile in her voice.

"I think it is. I wouldn't want anyone to see that beautiful body of yours."

She turned to face him, one eyebrow raising dangerously.

"Honestly Charles, I'm not a young lass anymore."

He stood up and encircled her waist with his arms, dropping a sloppy kiss on her mouth.

"This doesn't mean I can't appreciate your body as it is."

"You mean a decadent ruin."

Charles lowered his head to her ear, his breath tickling her skin.

"It didn't seem a decadent ruin yesterday night, I can assure you," he whispered huskily.

She drew back a little, leaning further against the counter, involuntarily pressing her pelvis against his crotch.

He let out a low moan.

"You are a hopeless liar," she pointed out quietly, a smug smile on her face, her hands on his chest.

He leaned in and murmured rhetorically, "But you have always liked it, haven't you?" before kissing her hungrily, hands roaming on her body, excited at the thought she was wearing absolutely nothing underneath her dressing gown.

She responded eagerly, sliding her arms around his neck, her tongue asking for permission to enter.

He promptly invited her in and Elsie moaned while exploring his mouth.

Charles then took hold of her hips and lifted her off the floor, positioning her on top of the counter.

She opened her legs and locked them around his waist, shifting on the edge to press herself against him.

He felt again her naked sex against his body, eradiating warmth, and he groaned deeply, tugging at the tie of her dressing gown.

Elsie divested herself of it and threw it in the middle of the room.

He was just about to kiss her along her neck when the kettle hissed and Elsie suddenly opened her eyes, which she had closed in anticipation.

"The tea," she exclaimed, pushing him away and carefully easing herself off the counter.

She took the kettle away from the cooker and put off the fire, making her way to the table, while Charles looked at her with his mouth hanging open, her eyes following her every move.

She was acting naturally, as if she was fully dressed. Which she was not.

Elsie turned to look at him questioningly. "Aren't you coming?"

He neared her in two strides and took hold of the kettle, putting it on the cooker again.

"You can't expect to turn me on like that and then simply have breakfast as if nothing happened."

"The tea is ready," she replied, hiding a smile. "I thought you were hungry."

His eyes roamed over her naked body, glinting with lust.

"At the moment I'm hungry for something else," he confessed, before crushing his lips to hers.

Elsie hummed in pleasure as he bent her over the table and then lowered his head to kiss the valley between his breasts.

She whimpered as she encouraged his attentions by entangling her fingers in his hair, writhing under him.

Charles knelt in front of her and pried apart her legs, which were dangling from the table.

She propped herself on her elbows, pouting at the absence of his lips on her body.

"What are you...?" she trailed off and then gasped loudly when she felt his tongue on her center.

"Charles!" she exclaimed, halfway between the surprised and interrogative.

He chuckled before kissing her again there, making her hips buckle and her breath short.

He teased her at her entrance with his tongue as she panted heavily, before inserting one finger and thrusting in and out of her along with his tongue.

Her deep moans only spurred him to go on as he felt his arousal grow.

"Come here," she whispered in a thick Scottish accent, extending her arms to him.

He took off his shirt and let it fall to the floor along with his underwear, before penetrating her in one long push.

They both groaned. She felt so wet and warm, her walls stretching to accommodate to his length; he felt so deliciously hard, his member throbbing and twitching inside her.

They started moving in unison, he thrusting rhythmically, she slightly raising her hips to meet his thrusts.

His groans matched her whimpers, his chest raised and fell against hers as they clung to each other tightly, trying to find their release.

He suddenly changed the angle, touching a spot in her that made her cry out in pleasure: she felt herself toppling over the edge. He followed her soon after.

They smiled smugly at each other as they caught their breath.

"I didn't know you were _that_ racy, Mr Carson. Doing it on the kitchen table no less!"

"You should have known it better before teasing me and then going downstairs completely undressed."

"I put it on when I found it in the bathroom," she replied in mock seriousness.

"You should have put it on _before that_," he commented, nearing his head to hers for a kiss.

She raised her head from the table at the same time and their foreheads bumped against each other.

"Ouch!" they moaned in pain, massaging their skin, side eyeing one another.

His expression was so completely speechless she couldn't help laughing aloud.

"What's so funny?" he demanded, pouting.

"Your face," she answered in a sweet and low tone. "You would think after all these years we learned how to kiss and make love properly, but no, we still manage to bump our foreheads together."

He chuckled, hugging her tightly against his chest. "We're not perfect."

Elsie sighed at the truth of his words.

No, they weren't perfect.

She had always knew that_, they_ had always knew that. Marriage was about knowing your spouse's virtues and flaws and learn to live with them, accepting your partner for what they were.

However, after fifteen years of marriage, they still had a lot to learn.

What they had experienced in the previous mouths was the proof of how much they still had to face, of how long they still had to walk together, hand in hand, in that steep but beautiful path that is loving each other.

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